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: Pumpkin Cheesecake with Candied Pecans

With all these pumpkins I have been roasting since Halloween, it triggered a memory. I made this delicious cheesecake a couple years back. This is my adapted version of Paula Deen’s pumpkin cheese cake.

Undoubtedly this was the BEST cheesecake I’ve ever turned out. The flavours are rich and complimentary and the texture not too dense nor to fluffy. But one of the people I shared it with made it a very special memory.

We lost our Dad this year, who fought a short but courageous battle with Leukemia.

After beholding the finished creation, I recall calling my parents and telling them, “come on over! I made cheesecake!” I am glad we spent that day together. I am pleased that Dad enjoyed my cake. And that I was proud enough to take this picture that I will always cherish.

Just because I use light cream cheese as an ingredient, that doesn’t make this anything less than a very sinful dessert. But you know what they say, a waist is a terrible thing to mind. Or something like that.

* I adapted this Paula Deen recipe to be a smidgen ‘lighter’ and also to have a bit more spice. If you have a delicate palete to spice, you can follow her recipe instead.

Ingredients (crust):

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

½ cup melted butter

Ingredients (filling):

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature

2 cups pureed pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup candied pecans for topping

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 °.

To prepare crust, combine crumbs, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. Add melted butter. Toss with a fork to coat all the crumbs. Pour and press down into a 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. Before serving, place pan on cake stand after loosening sides with a knife or frosting spatula. Release spring form. Garnish as desired.

For chocolate cream garnish: combine ¾ cup half-and-half and 1 tbsp butter in a medium pot, over medium heat. Melt and heat until a thin skin forms then add 8 oz chocolate chips and ¼ tsp vanilla. Keep stirring and when all chocolate melts turn off heat and allow to cool. Set aside in a container and gently warm it before drizzling on cheesecake just before serving. Top with a dollup of burbon whipped cream.